Couple vows to stay together after husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 29

When Ken Dodson started having memory issues eight years ago, he and his wife suspected a possible brain tumor, but doctors brushed his symptoms off as depression. Just a week before Dodson turned 30, doctors delivered a devastating diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, giving him only seven to 10 “good years.”

The couple, who were married for nine years before his diagnosis and have three children together, has vowed to stay together.

“We’re partners in this this. We made a vow to each other, and I will continue that vow until he takes his last breath,” Nikki told Fox 2 Detroit.

Alzheimer’s patients typically receive a diagnosis around age 65, but up to 5 percent of the more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s have younger onset of the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. However, most people with early-onset Alzheimer’s are in their 40s or 50s.

Common early symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory, thinking and behavioral issues. They typically develop slowly before worsening over time. It’s the sixth living cause of death in the United States, with survival ranging from four to 20 years, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There is no cure.

The couple has told their children that “daddy’s brain is sick,” and Nikki has seen a decline in her husband’s health. She told Fox 2 Detroit of an instance where he thought he was being held captive in their home, breaking appliances and furniture while acting defensively.